Gaza: Israel targets Palestinian civilians trying to access communications and internet services
Geneva - Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has documented the Israeli army deliberately killing Palestinian civilians, including journalists, as they attempted to access communications and internet services to communicate with their families or employers, by targeting them with sniper or drone attacks in various areas of the Gaza Strip.
At least seven civilians have been killed in the North Gaza Governorate in less than a week after they were directly targeted by Israeli army drones in the Al-Bashir area of Tal Al-Zaatar in Jabalia Camp. The victims were attempting to access internet services to communicate with their families and relatives.
The Geneva-based group clarified that Palestinian civilians are climbing to high elevations in an effort to intercept communications signals to access the internet using electronic cards, after Israeli forces demolished Palestinian communications exchanges. However, the Israeli forces deliberately target these civilians, who pose no threat or danger.
On 22 January, a group of journalists were targeted by Israeli aircraft while attempting to obtain internet services in the Tal Al-Zaatar area of Jabalia. A young man, Muhammad Al-Ghoula, was killed, and the journalist Imad Ghabboun was injured during the attack.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, Israel particularly targets civilians trying to pick up communications and internet signals in besieged areas where serious human rights violations are occurring. This hinders press coverage of the violations and makes it difficult for residents to report them.
On 8 February, Euro-Med Monitor documented the killing by an Israeli quadcopter aircraft of a Palestinian civilian on the roof of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, where he was attempting to obtain Internet signals amid the total Israeli siege of the hospital.
On 9 February, six young men were injured when Israeli warships targeted them while they were attempting to access the internet on the Nuwairi height near the sea of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Numerous civilians were killed and injured after being targeted by Israeli drones and quadcopter aircrafts, while trying to pick up an internet signal on the roof of the Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City, according to Euro-Med Monitor.
Walid Ghaleb Abu al-Fahm, 34, told Euro-Med Monitor the following details about the killing of his brother, Muhammad Ghaleb Abu al-Fahm, 32, and his two friends, Bassem Hassan al-Kahlot, 33, and Youssef Abu Fayed, 35, on 29 January and 1 December, 2023. The men were all from the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Abu al-Fahm said: "After the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the Tal al-Zaatar area and the vicinity of Al-Awda Hospital, I went with my brother Muhammad and my friends Bassem and Youssef to the Tal al-Zaatar area to obtain internet and communication services that had been cut off since the end of October.
